[Photo provided to China Daily]

Petit h is about creative reuse of materials, says Cyril Feb, the managing director of Petit h.

The French word "petit" means petite or small, usually referring to a woman's body type.

In this case, it is the name given to a "grand mission of breathing a second life" into otherwise junked materials, Feb says.

"I am always shocked when you throw away something. It makes me more than sad," Mussard says, adding that she can't imagine why people wouldn't try to save something by putting it to another use.

"Creativity generally means you have an idea and your look for the materials. For me it is the reverse."